Sit: Zay Flowers — Baltimore Ravens (vs DEN)
Flowers has been on a tear in recent weeks, notching 18 or more points (PPR) in three of his last four appearances. However, all fantasy managers should be wary about starting their star wideout against the Denver Broncos. Pat Surtain II has been locking down players all season long. The Broncos are allowing the 29th most points to opposing wideouts. Baltimore will likely keep the ball on the ground to win this matchup.
Start: DJ Moore — Chicago Bears (at ARI)
Moore is coming off back-to-back forgettable weeks. He caught just 2-of-4 targets against the Commanders for 27 yards. Before Chicago’s bye, Moore recorded four receptions for 20 yards against the Jaguars. Don’t get used to this kind of performance moving forward. The Bears have one of the easiest remaining schedules for wide receivers. That starts with the Arizona Cardinals, who are allowing the 10th most points to opposing wideouts this year. Moore should be in for a big game as the Bears try to wash away that embarrassing defeat from a week ago.
Sit: Amari Cooper — Buffalo Bills (vs MIA)
After a strong debut with the Bills (16.60 PPR), Cooper was quiet in Game 2 as he hauled in just one reception for three yards in a blowout victory over the Seahawks. We could see another quiet day for Cooper in Week 9 when the Bills take on the Dolphins. Miami has been excellent at defending opposing wideouts this season, allowing the 30th most fantasy points to WRs. The Bills likely won’t lean on a heavy air attack, anyway. Cooper has just seven targets across his two appearances in Buffalo. He can be avoided until he becomes a larger part of the offense.
Start: Jakobi Meyers — Las Vegas Raiders (at CIN)
Jakobi Meyers returned to the field in Week 8 after missing Vegas’ previous two games. It was his first appearance since the Raiders traded Davante Adams, and it’s clear Meyers will be one of the team’s top options moving forward. Against the Chiefs, Meyers caught 6-of-7 targets for 52 yards and 1 TD. Before getting injured, he saw at least nine targets in three straight games. The Bengals can put up points in bunches, but their defense has been suspect all year. The Raiders shouldn’t have much of a problem moving the ball downfield and getting Meyers involved in the passing attack.
Sit: Jaylen Waddle — Miami Dolphins (at BUF)
Tua Tagovailoa’s return helped Miami’s offense as a whole, but it didn’t greatly impact struggling wideout Jaylen Waddle. Waddle notched 8.50 points (PPR) in Miami’s loss to Arizona, recording four receptions (on six targets) for 45 yards. Waddle hasn’t gone over 50 yards since Week 1 and has yet to score a touchdown. Buffalo’s defense has played extremely well this year (27th in points allowed to WRs), and Waddle just doesn’t seem to be a huge part of this offense.
Start: Michael Pittman Jr. — Indianapolis Colts (at MIN)
With the news of Joe Flacco entering the starting lineup, we can expect a bump to Indianapolis’ pass catchers. Flacco is far more accurate of a passer than Anthony Richardson and has no trouble pushing the ball downfield and giving his playmakers a chance. Pittman Jr. scored a touchdown in each of Flacco’s last two appearances. He should be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the quarterback change.
Sit: Marvin Harrison Jr. — Arizona Cardinals (vs CHI)
The rookie was able to overcome a difficult matchup in Week 8 to break out of a slump. Harrison Jr. had six receptions for 111 yards and 1 TD in the win over the Dolphins. A 23.10-point (PPR) fantasy day was his highest total since Week 2. However, he had scored just 10.70 points (PPR) in the three weeks combined leading up to his recent strong outing. Harrison Jr. hasn’t seen more than 7 targets in a game since Week 3. And, the Bears present another difficult challenge given their stingy defense that has allowed the 24th most points to opposing receivers.
Start: Ladd McConkey — Los Angeles Chargers (at CLE)
Chargers rookie wideout Ladd McConkey is looking like a big piece of this offense. He was sensational last time out, recording six receptions for 111 yards and 2 TDs in a win over the Saints. He’s one of the few pass catchers that QB Justin Herbert seems to trust in the red zone. The Browns have been dismal this year against opposing wideouts, allowing the 6th most fantasy points to WRs. McConkey will continue his strong play in a winnable game in Cleveland.
Sit: Wan’Dale Robinson — New York Giants (vs WAS)
Robinson has been one of the most targeted wideouts in all of football through the early part of the season. Only Garrett Wilson, Ceedee Lamb, and Giants teammate Malik Nabers have seen more targets this year. However, Robinson hasn’t been able to turn those opportunities into much fantasy production. He registered just 8.00 points (PPR) against the Steelers last week after catching all five of his targets for a measly 30 yards. This offense simply isn’t good enough to carry two fantasy-viable receivers. Unless Nabers is out, keep Robinson on your bench.
Start: Calvin Ridley — Tennessee Titans (vs NE)
Calvin Ridley is a must-start for the remainder of the season. In Tennessee’s first game since trading DeAndre Hopkins, Ridley was targeted a whopping 15 times. He turned those chances into a season-high 10 receptions for 143 yards. The Titans’ passing attack seems far more stable with Mason Rudolph under center. And, Ridley will get plenty of chances to produce a strong fantasy line when the Titans take on the Patriots this week – even if star CB Christian Gonzalez is shadowing him.
